Can alopecia turn into lupus?

Author: Domenick West  |  Last update: Tuesday, March 28, 2023

It is more commonly seen with thyroid disorders and vitiligo, but alopecia areata

alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Hair follicles are the structures in skin that form hair. While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face.
https://www.niams.nih.gov › health-topics › alopecia-areata
has also been linked to diabetes, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Indeed, individuals with alopecia areata have an increased risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus.

Can alopecia lead to other autoimmune diseases?

Studies show that people with alopecia areata can have other autoimmune diseases, such as thyroid disease. However, the fact that you have alopecia areata doesn't mean you will automatically develop another autoimmune disease.

What can alopecia lead to?

Alopecia is, simply put, hair loss. If you have alopecia, you might see extra hair on pillows or in shower drains, or you might notice bald patches on your scalp. Over time hair loss can grow back or fall out permanently, depending on the cause. Alopecia is not curable, but it's treatable and not life-threatening.

Does alopecia cause immune system problems?

The disease is associated with increased risk of other autoimmune disorders (Table 2). Approximately, 12-16% of individuals with alopecia areata develop an autoimmune disease [29, 30].

What kind of lupus causes hair loss?

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)

Though DLE lesions are non-scarring in early stages, they can progress towards permanent scarring and result in irreversible hair loss.

Hair Loss with Lupus

How is lupus alopecia treated?

In addition to a corticosteroid and an immunosuppressant to manage symptoms, your doctor may prescribe an antimalarial drug to reduce lupus flares.
...
Avoid sun exposure.
  1. Avoid sun exposure. ...
  2. Change your medication. ...
  3. Eat a healthy diet. ...
  4. Limit stress. ...
  5. Get plenty of rest.

What are the four signs of lupus?

The most common signs and symptoms include:
  • Fatigue.
  • Fever.
  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
  • Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body.
  • Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure.

Can alopecia lead to other diseases or disorders?

People with alopecia areata have an increased risk of developing other autoimmune disorders, including vitiligo, systemic lupus erythematosus, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and autoimmune thyroid diseases (such as Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves disease).

Do people with alopecia get sick more often?

“Alopecia Areata itself does not compromise the immune system or cause immune deficiency and there is no reason to think that people with Alopecia Areata are more at risk from COVID-19 than the general population, either in terms of catching the virus or being more severely affected by it.

What virus causes alopecia?

Alopecia areata is sometimes triggered by viral infections such as influenza that causes excess production of interferons (IFN). IFN- γ is one of the key factors that lead to the collapse of immune privilege.

What happens if alopecia is left untreated?

Often, hair grows back within several months, even without treatment. It may grow in fine or white at first, but usually returns to its original texture and color with time. People with alopecia areata may lose and grow back their hair more than once, either in the same patches as before or in different patches.

What is the root cause of alopecia?

Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men.

What causes alopecia flare ups?

It is believed that the person's genetic makeup may trigger the autoimmune reaction of alopecia areata, along with a virus or a substance the person comes into contact with. Alopecia areata is an unpredictable disease. In some people, hair grows back but falls out again later. In others, hair grows back and remains.

Is alopecia a symptom of something else?

Both men and women tend to lose hair thickness and amount as they age. This type of baldness is not usually caused by a disease. It is related to aging, heredity, and changes in the hormone testosterone. Inherited, or pattern baldness, affects many more men than women.

What type of autoimmune disease is alopecia?

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease of the hair follicles. It is characterized by a well-defined non-scarring alopecic patch or patches that may extend to the entire scalp or lead to total body hair loss. Due to its unpredictable clinical course, AA causes substantial psychological harm.

Does alopecia make you tired?

Answer: Alopecia areata and fatigue and cold intolerance

Suppression of adrenal gland function can lead to both fatigue and cold intolerance for example.

Does alopecia affect your physical health?

Though the symptoms of alopecia areata typically do not cause physical pain, many people with the condition say that it causes emotional, or psychological, pain. This type of pain is as serious (and can feel the same) as physical pain and can lead to feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety.

Is alopecia linked to MS?

A diagnosis of MS could also be a contributing factor to stress-related hair loss. There is no direct evidence that alopecia is more common in patients with MS than in the general population.

Does alopecia affect life expectancy?

Alopecia areata is not life-threatening and does not cause physical pain. However, the psychosocial effects of hair loss can be devastating. In addition, patients may experience symptoms related to hair loss, such as increased eye or nasal irritation after loss of eyelash or nasal hair.

Does alopecia affect the brain?

Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is associated with significant cardiovascular risk factors that also have a negative impact on brain aging.

When should you suspect lupus?

Rashes that develop on the face and upper arms after exposure to sunlight, unexplained fevers, and painful, swollen, or stiff joints are all common lupus symptoms — and are symptoms you should tell your doctor about, says Neil Kramer, MD, a rheumatologist at the Institute for Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases at ...

Does lupus show up in blood work?

No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.

At what age does lupus usually show up?

Symptoms and diagnosis occur most often between the ages of 15 and 44. Symptoms of lupus will occur before age 18 in only 15 percent of the people who are later diagnosed with the disease.

How do I know if my hair loss is from lupus?

But some people with lupus develop round (discoid) lesions on the scalp. Because these discoid lesions scar your hair follicles, they do cause permanent hair loss. Lupus can also cause the scalp hair along your hairline to become fragile and break off easily, leaving you with a ragged appearance known as lupus hair.

Is alopecia autoimmune life threatening?

Alopecia areata is a form of alopecia (hair loss). It's a non-life-threatening disease of your immune system that affects the hair on your scalp. With this condition, your body mistakenly views your hair follicles as an enemy.

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